Adventures of the Orange Trainer
by pain17ification
Summary: Born in Alola, yet living in Kanto, Naruto Uzumaki starts his Pokémon journey with his partner Akitsu; an Alolan Vulpix. He'll battle Trainers, catch and raise Pokémon, and, of course, get into some trouble; but it's our favorite Orange Knucklehead! Could you expect anything less, ttebayo? Naruto/Sabrina pairing with Lillie/Mizuki (Moon) side pairing!
1. Chapter 1: Let the Journey Begin

**Hello again, FanFiction!**

 **I've decided to give this crossover genre one last go since my last two stories featuring this crossover have hit major roadblocks; major enough for them to be put On Hold for an undetermined amount of time.**

 **This story will be my last hoorah for** _ **Naruto/Pokémon**_ **crossovers, and I'm offering major thanks to my friend Dylan Millwood for his assistance.**

 **So please, sit back, relax, and try to enjoy the story. Thank you.**

 **Disclaimer: The rights to** _ **Naruto**_ **and** _ **Pokémon**_ **belong to Kishimoto and Nintendo respectively. This is a nonprofit story made solely for entertainment purposes, and I own nothing.**

* * *

 _Adventures of the Orange Trainer_

 _Chapter One: Let the Journey Begin_

* * *

Soft snores were heard coming from a small bedroom. This bedroom belonged to a modest home on the beautiful Cinnabar Island of the Kanto Region; an island known for its volcano and the Fire Gym.

Resting on the bed was a blonde teen with whisker marked cheeks and wild hair that defied being tamed by any means. His bedroom was simple, sporting his bed, a desk, and a small television with a Luxury Ball resting on top of it. For decorations, he had a couple of photos hung on the walls, as well as an island lei that had red, yellow, and orange flowers comprising it.

Resting next to him, curling herself against his form, was a white fox with a puffy tuft of fur on her head and six equally fluffy tails acting as her pillow. She was a Vulpix from the far off Alola Region, hatched here on Cinnabar just shy of a year ago.

The sound of a flock of Pidgey making their way north made her ear twitch, and she blearily opened her crystalline blue eyes before giving off an adorable yawn. Rousing her body up, she shook her fur loose of anything that had clung to it before she moved over to her partner's face. She licked his cheek once, making him groan and try to stay asleep. Seeing as it almost worked, she pawed his cheek and gave a soft coo of her name, making him crack open one of his violet eyes. (1)

His lips curved into a tired smile as he greeted, "Morning, girl…"

She gave a smile back, her tails waving happily. She patiently waited for him to sit up on his bed and stretch his body awake with a wide yawn. When she saw he was awake enough, she gave a happy yip of her name before jumping into his lap, nuzzling her body against his chest affectionately.

He chuckled at her actions, petting her back and tails softly. "Glad to see you're ready for the day, Akitsu-chan." (2) He moved her off his lap before getting out of bed and heading out of his room for the kitchen, the Alolan Pokémon following along happily.

In the kitchen, already having breakfast on the stove, was the boy's mother. She was a beauty of a woman with violet eyes that matched his and cascading red tresses of hair that flowed down her lower back; nearly reaching her ankles with its length. She was dressed in a high-collared, sleeveless white blouse that was covered by a loose-fit green dress while a black clip parted her bangs to the left.

Helping her cook were a pair of Ninetales; one from Kanto and the other from Alola. The Fire-Typed one was her partner, Kurama, while the Ice/Fairy-Typed one was his mate, Koyuki; both being the parents of Akitsu.

Seated in his wheelchair was the teen's father, who shared his blonde hair; though his was noticeably more manageable. He was dressed in black pants and a dark blue shirt that had the sleeves stop at his elbows. Seated next to him, floating in midair on its tail, was the man's partner and faithful friend, Senkō; a Raichu from the Alola Region.

These two were Kushina Uzumaki and Minato Namikaze, parents of Naruto Uzumaki. While he could also be called Namikaze, Uzumaki rolled off the tongue better; at least, that's what his mother said most times while his father never said anything against it.

"Morning, son," Minato greeted, giving the fourteen-year-old a warm smile. "Today's the day, huh?"

Naruto gave a bright grin and nodded. "Yep! I finally start my League Journey." He then held a deadpan expression and added, "Four years past the minimum starting age, ttebayo…"

Minato chuckled awkwardly while Kushina puffed her cheeks in annoyance. "None of that, ttebane," she admonished, pointing a wooden spoon at him; a deadly weapon in her hands. "Just because other parents let their children go off all willy-nilly at age ten doesn't mean I'm going to do the same thing! Ten is way too young for something like this!"

Sighing in tandem with Akitsu, Naruto replied, "Yeah, I know, mom. Just bummed I couldn't start earlier, is all."

"Hmph," she huffed once again. "If you had started earlier, then you wouldn't have met Akitsu-chan."

"True," the teen agreed, crouching down to pet the Vulpix on the head, making her coo joyfully. "But, now that it's time, Akitsu and I will take the League head-on and kick ass, ttebayo!"

Accompanying his declaration was a fist pump while Akitsu gave a determined yip, raising her paw in agreement with her partner.

Kurama rolled his eyes while Koyuki smiled at the bond between her kit and the blonde boy. Minato and Senkō both smiled at Naruto and Akitsu while Kushina decided not to admonish him for his language; giving him a proud look at his determination.

He really did take after her the most.

Breakfast was a happy affair for the family. The three humans talked about Naruto's trip, with the two adults giving him some advice and tips while he listened attentively. As for the Pokémon, the two Ninetales conversed with their kit while the Raichu threw in his input from time to time.

After breakfast, Naruto went to his room to prepare his travel pack with Akitsu helping him. He was nearly finished when a knock was heard on his doorframe, letting him see his father. "What's up, dad?"

"Just wanted to talk away from your mother for a moment, if you don't mind," he answered, wheeling himself into the room while Senkō closed the door. "I wanted to remind you not to be reckless during your journey, and to be careful of shady people or possible organizations."

"You mean like the rumors of Team Rocket?" guessed the younger blonde.

"Exactly," the man confirmed with a grim nod. "I trust you to take care of both you and your Pokémon, but you can never be too careful, son. I speak from experience that things can go wrong in an instant."

Senkō looked down shamefully, prompting Minato to reach over and pat the Raichu's head assuringly.

"…How did it happen?" Naruto asked hesitantly, earning his father's attention once more. "I was always too nervous to ask, because I didn't want to bring up bad memories. But, I…" he paused briefly, "I need to know, dad…"

"…It was during a bust of the Aether Organization," Minato began. "My team was in the middle of battling their Pokémon while trying to stop them from transferring their data to another location. Attacks from the Pokémon were flying all over the place, and some of my fellow officers were hit by stray shots. I wound up taking a _Thunderbolt_ to my back, and the electricity damaged the nerves in my spine; paralyzing me from the waist down."

"Oh…" It was saddening to hear about his father's last assignment before he was forced to retire. "Did you stop Aether?"

"A month later, the head of the organization was found and taken into custody. She would've been served a harsh sentence for her crimes; but she had two babies and there was no father." He gave his son a strained smile as he continued, "You remember Gladion and Lillie?"

"Yeah, of course I do," Naruto replied, recalling his childhood friends before his family moved to Cinnabar. Realization struck and he whispered, "…Their mom was the leader."

Minato nodded once. "Yes, she was. She was allowed to raise them, but she was watched by a constant guard and no Pokémon were allowed in her home with them. She eventually offered her knowledge and research in exchange for more liberties; which was allowed when her research was thoroughly looked over."

"But…Aunt Lusamine was always so nice. I can't believe she was in charge of a criminal group…"

"People can surprise you; sometimes in the worst way," Minato stated, instilling more wisdom into his son. "At any rate, Lusamine-san has reformed from her past, and she's been welcomed into society once more; thanks to her children."

"Damn… Gladion and Lillie-chan are lucky they didn't lose her."

"Indeed, they are. But, that's enough of that. The point I wanted to make was for you to keep your senses and wits sharp. Trust your instincts, Naruto." He smiled and ruffled his son's hair. "You inherited the best of them from your mother and I."

"I will," promised the whiskered blonde.

* * *

The family was next seen at the docks where Naruto would board a ship to Pallet Town, where Prof. Oak resided. While Naruto did one last check of his pack, his parents spoke quietly.

"You warned him to be careful, right?" Kushina asked, showing her motherly worry.

"Yes, I did. I also told him about my accident."

That caught her by surprise, knowing how sensitive the topic was. Minato was one of the best Officers in Alola, and he was well on his way to becoming the next Chief of Police. It was something he had worked hard towards for many years before the accident robbed him of the chance.

"He needed to know," Minato explained, smiling at his wife. "Besides, now he has a better appreciation of his family and friends thanks to knowing about Lusamine's past."

"…Alright then, dear," Kushina agreed, trusting her husband's judgement.

She turned to her son, who was saying his goodbyes to hers and Minato's Pokémon, smiling at his excitement and exuberance. She was forced to choke back a laugh when she saw Kurama dismiss him with a casual wave of one of his tails, making Naruto slump comically while Akitsu and Koyuki cheered him up.

"All aboard!" shouted one of the crewmen of the ship.

Hearing him, Naruto walked back to his parents and gave them an anxious smile. "Well…this is it."

Kushina's eyes grew misty and she hugged her son tightly. "Please, just be safe. That's all I care about, Naruto."

"I will, mom," promised the teen. "I'll be sure to call you whenever I reach a new town."

"You'd better, ttebane," warned the woman through her tears. It was hard to watch her only child head out on his own.

Naruto then hugged his father, who simply said, "Take it slow, son; and listen to your motormouthed mother."

Chuckling, Naruto nodded in agreement before he shouldered his pack; Akitsu jumping on his shoulder as he crouched down to grab it. He gave his parents one last smile and wave before he headed up the boarding ramp.

Minutes later, the ship raised its anchors and was off across the water. Naruto's parents and their Pokémon stayed at the docks until they couldn't see it on the horizon anymore.

* * *

Nearly a week later at sea, the ship from Cinnabar ported at the docks a couple miles away from Pallet Town. Stepping off the ship was Naruto, ready to meet the Professor of the Kanto Region with Akitsu sitting comfortably on his shoulder.

Currently, he was dressed in durable black sandals that left his toes and heels exposed, black cargo shorts with large pockets, a crimson red sleeveless shirt, and an open island shirt that was colored orange with red swirls decorating it. He had a black belt holding up his shorts, an orange headband holding back his bangs, and Akitsu's Luxury Ball resting against his chest by means of a magnetic necklace. (3)

Grinning brightly, Naruto adjusted his travel pack before he walked towards Pallet, eager to meet Oak and get his PokéDex. Back in Alola, Professor Kukui gave aspiring Trainers what he called a Rotom-Dex; which was basically a PokéDex possessed by a Rotom that assisted the Trainer.

While it was definitely interesting, Naruto was more than happy to receive a standard PokéDex. It was going to play a crucial part in his journey, considering how he was obviously more used to the island region's Pokémon.

It took him a little over half-an-hour's walk to reach Pallet, having to leap out of the way of a speeding red car driven by some kid and his tag-along cheerleaders. Naruto glared at the departing vehicle, finding himself agreeing with his mother on how reckless it was to let ten-year-old children go off on their own; especially if they were _driving_! (4)

Shaking off his ire, he refocused on getting to Oak's lab, having to maneuver himself through a crowd of people celebrating another boy's receival of his starter Pokémon; a Pikachu, from what Naruto witnessed. _'Cute, but those suckers could be pretty stubborn,'_ the blonde mused before stepping into the lab; somehow avoiding the attention of the crowd.

For that, he was glad. It would've been awkward to have everyone staring at Akitsu, who was different from "natural" Vulpix in Kanto.

"Professor?" Naruto called as he walked into the main room of the man's laboratory.

"Be with you in a moment!" a slightly elderly man's voice called back before Samuel Oak stepped in from another room. He caught a glimpse of the young teen and his Alolan Vulpix before smiling in realization. "Ah, you're Minato and Kushina's boy, aren't you?"

"Yes, sir," the blonde answered respectfully. Oak was known as the man who knew the most about Pokémon, after all. He deserved the respect many gave him.

"Yes, your parents gave me a call after you left Cinnabar," continued the Professor, gesturing Naruto to follow him to another room. He had Naruto set Akitsu down on a table as he took a closer look at her. "Remarkable," he praised as he wrote down his comparisons to the Kanto Vulpix. "I never realized how a simple change of climate could affect a Pokémon so much; changing its type entirely!"

"You never talked with Professor Kukui about it?" the Uzumaki asked.

"Well, considering how busy we both are, and how the regions have different time zones, it's rather difficult to get a hold of him," Oak explained. "I've been trying to find some free time to head over to Alola, but I haven't had much luck in that endeavor."

"Ah, I see. Well, Akitsu-chan was born from a Kanto and an Alolan Ninetales; but she took after her mother more."

"Yes, my fellow Professors have noticed that during our studies of Pokémon Eggs and their hatchings. The mother usually determines what species of Pokémon is born; and even which variant, based on what you've just told me."

The man took a few more minutes to look over Akitsu and take down notes before he led the teen and his partner back into the main room. Sitting at his desk, he offered Naruto and Akitsu the small couch as he got some things in order.

"There we are," the man proclaimed, setting down a red device, a map, and five small red-white spheres. "Here's your PokéDex, which I've taken the liberty of registering to you. It acts as your identification for the League as well, so don't lose it."

"I won't," Naruto promised, taking the device and putting it in his pocket.

"Next is the map of the Kanto Region. Since you'll be taking the League Challenge, it'd be best for you to start heading north for Viridian City." He got a nod from the teen before he gestured to the last handful of items. "I doubt I need to explain what these are, considering that you already have a partner."

"Yeah, I know what those are," the blonde assured the man before he clipped the five empty PokéBalls to the slots on his belt; leaving one open. "Is there anything else I should know before I head out?"

"The League Tournament will begin in around six months. This should give you time to get the eight Badges needed to participate. Also, you can only carry six Pokémon at a time. If you catch one while having a full party, you can either send one of your party or the recently caught Pokémon to me via your PokéDex. It's a standard feature for Trainers."

"Got it." The young man stood up with Akitsu taking her spot on his shoulder once more. He shook Oak's hand and grinned at the man. "Thanks for the supplies, Professor. I'll be sure to record as many Pokémon as I can for you during my journey."

"Glad to hear it," replied the man, smiling back at the younger blonde. "Now, your parents told me that you were interested in the lore of the other regions, yes?"

"Mostly the rumors about the Pokémon categorized as Legendary. I heard that there was one here in Kanto that practically no one has gathered proof of."

"Ah, yes; Mew. It's quite possibly the rarest Pokémon in existence, if I were to throw in my personal opinion. There've been a handful of people who claimed they saw it; but they had no proof to support their claims."

"Well, if you have anything on it, I'd really appreciate it. I want to be the first one to get some proof Mew exists."

Oak chuckled at the teen's determination before he headed over to his shelf and pulled out a folder. Handing it to him, he explained, "Those are a copy of the notes I have on Mew. If you're lucky enough, maybe you _will_ be the first one to bring proof."

Naruto gratefully accepted the folder and put it in his pack before grinning at the Professor. "You better be ready for me when I find it, Professor Oak. I'm gonna find Mew for sure!"

"Best of luck to you then, Naruto Uzumaki," bid the man as he watched the newest Trainer of the Kanto Region head out on the start of his journey. As he saw the teen heading north, he took note of the building storm clouds ahead, making him frown in slight concern. "Hmm… I hope those boys stay safe out there," he mused, thinking of his grandson, Delia's boy, and Naruto.

* * *

Holding an open umbrella, Naruto walked down Route 1 towards the city of Viridian; Akitsu getting some exercise by walking beside him. "The weather sure went bad quickly, huh?"

Akitsu cooed her name worriedly, her ears twitching at the faint echo of thunder.

"We'll be fine, Akitsu-chan. If the weather gets worse, we could always find some shelter to wait it out." His partner nodded. "In the meantime, we'll keep walking. We never know if we'll run into some Pokémon who don't care about the weather."

A loud roar of thunder was soon heard, followed by a brilliant flash of lightning ahead of them. What shocked both him and his partner was that there were some distant shapes falling from the sky following the lightning burst.

"C'mon, girl!" Naruto declared as they both rushed ahead, worried if anyone (human or Pokémon) were seriously hurt. As they neared the source, they saw a couple dozen Spearow knocked out cold, with stray shocks of electricity coursing through them. "Geez… What kind of Pokémon has enough power to knock out this many Spearow?"

Akitsu gave an unsure yip as she prodded one of the twitching birds with her forepaw.

"Well, they don't look too hurt," mused the blonde. "I guess it'd be best if we just moved on."

His partner nodded, and the two weaved their way through the knocked-out Pokémon, continuing on towards Viridian City.

* * *

"So…some kid took off with your bike because he had an injured Pikachu?" Naruto asked his current travel companion. She was an orangette girl with a bad temper; though she had a reason for it.

"Yeah, that stupid kid," the girl groused, internally thankful that the blonde had an umbrella large enough for her to share with him. "I know his Pokémon was hurt and all, but why wouldn't he just put it in a PokéBall?"

"Some Pokémon don't like being in those things, like Akitsu-chan," explained Naruto, earning an agreeing yip from the Vulpix.

The girl, Misty, finally took note of the white fox and squealed. "Oh, she's adorable!"

She reached out to grab Akitsu, but the Alola fox jerked her head back and gave a growl. She had bad experience with women and their "cute obsession" tendencies. She did _not_ want to go through that anymore.

Misty looked surprised at the hostility while Naruto chuckled awkwardly. "Yeah, Akitsu has some bad memories with cuddling."

"Oh," the girl sighed out, slumping for a moment before perking back up. "By the way, why does she look like a Vulpix?"

"She _is_ a Vulpix; one from the Alola Region far away from here. I was born there before my family moved to Kanto."

"Alola?"

"Yeah, my home region is constantly called an island paradise. It's different from the other regions since they don't have Gyms. Instead, they have Island Champions. Last I heard from the Professor of that region was that he recently put together his own Elite Four Challenge."

"The Alola Region never had one before?" Misty asked with a raised brow, idly noting that the weather had let up and the clouds were slowly parting ways.

"Not that I know of. Maybe one day I'll go back and take on the Island Challenges. But first," she saw him grin with determination burning in his violet eyes, "I'm going to take on the Kanto League. With Akitsu at my side, and my future team, we'll take on anyone and prove our strength."

"Vulpix!" Akitsu declared with just as much passion as her partner.

Misty couldn't help but be impressed with his confidence. "Well…good luck with your journey then, Naruto."

"Thanks." He paused as he noticed a sign saying they were just about to enter Viridian City. "Well, this is where we part ways. Good luck finding the guy who took your bike. But, try to take it easy on him since he did it for his Pikachu."

She frowned at his words before sighing in defeat. "Fine, I'll give the brat a chance to explain himself before I do anything. At the very least, if he trashed my bike, then he owes me a new one."

"That's fair," Naruto agreed with a chuckle before he waved goodbye and headed for the Gym.

The city was different from the ones back in Alola. It felt more…cramped than the open spaces he was used to. At least Cinnabar Island kept its spaces open. It must be an island thing, he supposed.

Approaching the Gym, his eyes widened when he saw that it was closed. The windows were covered and the front entrance was bolted shut, preventing anyone from seeing inside or entering.

"Well, shit," he cursed with narrowed eyes. Akitsu looked just as annoyed as he was, narrowing her blue eyes at the set of bolted doors. "Now what?"

* * *

 **1~ I always liked seeing Naruto with a nice mix of his parents features. Either red hair with blue eyes, or blonde hair with violet eyes. It's just my preference** _ ***shrugs***_

 **2~ Akitsu was a beauty from** _ **Sekirei**_ **who used ice as her main power. I couldn't help but use her as the name for Naruto's Vulpix.**

 **3~ If someone would please draw Naruto with this look and Akitsu at his side, then I promise to reward you with juicy story spoilers!** _ ***grins***_

 **4~ Seriously, what imbecile thought that letting a ten-year-old drive was a good idea?!**

 **And that, as many people say, is that.**

 **Now, I wanted to repeat that this is my last attempt at this type of crossover. Success or failure, there will be nothing new after this.**

 **I also wanted to explain how this story will work really quick.**

 **Pokémon moves and abilities will consist of all seven of the current seasons. However, seeing as Naruto is in the Kanto Region, he will ONLY be able to find, catch, and raise Kanto Pokémon.**

 **However, that does NOT mean that the Kanto Pokémon he catches can't turn into their later Generation evolutions. An example being how a trainer with an Eevee could still get an Espeon or Umbreon since they evolve via friendship.**

 **I hope that makes sense to you all, but if you need further explanation, don't be afraid to PM me. I promise to get back to you at my earliest convenience.**

 **The pairing is Naruto/Sabrina, by the way. No harem, and no changing. This decision is final.**

 **Once again, thanks to Dylan Millwood for his help!**

 **Until next time!**

 _ **~pain17ification~**_


	2. Chapter 2: Reunions and Forests

**Hey there, ladies and gents! How're you all doing today? Hopefully good!**

 **Now then, onwards to the second chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: The rights to source material belong to the creators/owners of said material. I do not claim ownership of them, and this is a nonprofit story made solely for entertainment purposes.**

* * *

 _Adventures of the Orange Trainer_

 _Chapter Two: Reunions and Forests_

* * *

"Dammit all," Naruto grumbled as he sat on his bed in the Pokémon Center. They were built with lodgings for Trainers, so long as they paid a nightly fee. "Now what are we gonna do, girl?"

"Vul…" she whined sadly.

Sighing in defeat, he laid down fully on the bed, prompting Akitsu to jump up and crawl onto his chest before curling up. Instinctively, he had a hand scratch the top of her head, making her purr in delight.

"We'll just have to figure it out tomorrow then, I guess."

With that said, the two of them fell asleep; feeling exhausted after their boat ride and long walk to Viridian City. They slept so deeply that they were ignorant to a certain criminal organization attempting to swipe the Center of the Pokémon getting treated within its walls.

Luckily, they were stopped by a familiar boy and his Pikachu; with the help of a certain girl's bike, of course.

* * *

"What the hell did I miss last night?!" Naruto comically asked, his eyes wide as he and Akitsu observed the damage the Center had taken during the attempted heist.

"Oh, Mr. Uzumaki!" Nurse Joy called out from behind her desk, sounding relieved to see him. "Thank goodness you and your Pokémon are alright."

"What happened here? How did I sleep through it?"

"Some members of Team Rocket tried to take the Pokémon under our care, but they were stopped by some brave kids; especially a boy named Ash and his Pikachu."

"A kid with a Pikachu…?" mused the blonde. "Where have I seen that before?"

"Vul, Vulpix!"

"Oh yeah! That kid who got a Pikachu from Professor Oak!" He reached a hand up and rubbed her head affectionately. "Good memory, girl!"

She basked in the praise, delighted to receive it from her best friend.

"So, where's the kid now?"

"He and a young woman headed for the Viridian Forest. It's the best way to get to Pewter City from here," Joy explained.

"I see. Do you and your staff need any help with cleaning up or repairs?"

"Oh, we can manage. We were lucky to have our power restored after Team Rocket was dealt with. Our backup generators would've only lasted so long."

"That's a relief. So, are the video phones working? I'd like to make a call."

She nodded with a kind smile, pointing him to the machines in question. With a thankful nod, the Alola-born teen headed over to them and dialed home, bracing himself for his mother's inevitable wrath. After all, he didn't call her as soon as he arrived in Viridian.

After a moment, he got an answer in the form of his father on the screen. _"Hey, son! Already in Viridian, eh?"_

"How'd you know that?" the younger blonde asked curiously.

 _"Caller I.D. is standard on these things, son. It lets us know what city the call is coming from."_

"Huh… Convenient. Anyway, I was just calling to let you and mom know I made it alright. I would've called sooner, but I didn't want to take advantage of the Professor's kindness and we arrived at Viridian pretty late."

 _"No worries. We're just happy you called."_

"Where's mom, anyway? I'm surprised she wasn't the one who answered." He was also secretly relieved.

To his surprise, Minato gave an awkward chuckle, scratching his cheek nervously. _"Well, that's because…we have a guest over right now."_

"…Dad? Who's over there?" Naruto asked, sounding nervous.

 _"Well, you see…"_

Suddenly, the man was pushed aside and the face of a familiar, cute blonde girl with bright green eyes filled the screen, glaring adorably at the Uzumaki boy. _"NARUTO UZUMAKI!"_

"GAH!" he yelped in surprise, falling backwards and onto the floor unceremoniously. Akitsu was fortunate enough to jump from his shoulder and land on the tabletop with ease.

 _"Ah, Akitsu-chan!"_ the girl greeted happily, backing up so she could put a palm on a part of the screen on her end. To her delight, the Alolan Vulpix pressed her paw to the image and she smiled brighter. _"I'm glad to see you."_ Her glare returned as Naruto got back up with a nervous chuckle. _"Unlike SOME people who don't give their best friends a call when he leaves for ANOTHER REGION!"_

"Aw, c'mon Lillie-chan!" he tried to placate her. "I was gonna call you; honest!"

" _Oh yes…"_ she agreed calmly before exploding, _"WHEN YOU WERE ALREADY GONE!"_

He scratched the back of his head awkwardly, giving a sheepish chuckle. By everything, he loved Lillie as if she was his sister; but her rage moments came off as way more adorable than intimidating. It made it a bit hard to take her seriously; which only made her angrier.

And _that_ only made the moments cuter.

"I'm sorry, okay? I'm…bad at saying goodbye, y'know…"

She sighed in exasperation. _"You wouldn't have needed to say goodbye, though."_

"Huh?"

 _"I was HOPING to go WITH you,"_ she continued, pouting. _"But I wasn't able to because you didn't let me know when you were leaving."_

"Oh…" Great. Now he felt guilty.

" _So, here's what's going to happen,"_ she continued, and Naruto saw his parents looking very amused in the background. _"You,"_ she pointed directly at him from the screen, _"are going to wait right there!"_

"…Eh?"

 _"I'm going to catch the ship leaving for Pallet Town today."_

"Eh?!"

 _"And WE are going to travel around the Kanto Region together,"_ she finished, nodding firmly before leaving the room.

"EHHHHH…?!" By now, Naruto's eyes were wide as saucers and strangely fully white with no pupils.

Kushina took this moment to sit in front of the screen on her end, fighting her giggles as she said, _"Well, looks like you'll have a travel partner for your League Journey."_

Her son sighed in defeat, slumping forward slightly. "Looks that way…"

 _"If it makes you feel any better, Lusamine and Gladion both trust you with her safety. She wasn't nearly as mad as she seemed just a bit ago."_ Kushina smiled warmly. _"She was a bit upset, but she was mainly happy for you; happy for her onii-chan,"_ she teased.

"Mom…" groaned the younger Uzumaki.

 _"I'm only teasing, sweetheart. Now, I'm going to wire you some money so you can stay in Viridian. Normally, I'd have you use your own money, but this will be an exception since you're waiting for Lillie-chan."_

"Thanks, mom. I'll call you both again when Lillie and I make it to Pewter City."

 _"You'd better,"_ she threatened jokingly as she sent Naruto money to his account. _"We love you, Naruto-kun."_

"Love you both, too," he replied before they both logged off. He turned to Akitsu, rubbing her head gently and making her purr again. "Aunt Lusamine trusts me, huh?"

With a thoughtful hum, he turned back to the keyboard for the video phone and dialed the number for the woman's home. After a few rings, the screen lit up and a beautiful woman who looked like an older, matured version of Lillie appeared.

She looked surprised briefly before she smiled warmly at him. _"Hello, Naruto. This is a pleasant surprise."_

"Hey, Aunty. Just wanted to call and reassure you that I'll be waiting for Lillie to get here to Viridian City."

 _"She'd chase you all over the Kanto Region if you didn't,"_ the woman replied with amusement, earning an awkward chuckle from the Uzumaki. _"How are you, dear?"_

"I'm fine. Excited to get started, for sure."

 _"That's good. This is something you've wanted to do for a long time, now."_

"Yeah, it is." He went silent for a few moments, looking a bit conflicted.

Lusamine took notice and asked, _"Everything alright?"_

"…Dad told me about his accident before I left," he confessed after a brief pause.

 _"Oh,"_ she responded awkwardly, memories of the past resurfacing. _"So, now you know what I did before I had my children."_ She saw him nod. _"I'm guessing you have questions."_

"Just one, really. Why?"

 _"Why did I invest my time, money, and sanity into the Aether Foundation?"_ she elaborated, earning a nod from her pseudo nephew. _"It's difficult to talk about; but, I owe you this much since I'm partially responsible for your father's predicament."_

He waited patiently for her to begin.

 _"It all started when my husband – who's a scientist like myself – went missing. Mohn was studying wormholes and similar phenomena that were made by creatures we labeled as Ultra Beasts."_

"Ultra Beasts?" Naruto repeated.

She nodded. _"They're beings similar to Pokémon in nature; enough that they use Pokémon moves and have their own typings. Mohn was working alone at our lab one evening while I was out purchasing some supplies. When I returned to the lab…"_

"He wasn't there," finished the younger blonde, feeling sad for her. He could only imagine what she must've felt when she saw him missing.

 _"Yes… I searched everywhere, called all our colleagues, and checked our files to try and find him. No one had any idea where he was, but the latest file he had made on our computer carried a video log. In it, I saw Mohn…and how he was taken by a wormhole he had accidentally made."_

"Lusamine… I'm so sorry," he apologized, feeling compelled to give her his condolences for her loss.

 _"Thank you,"_ she replied, smiling sadly before she continued. _"That was my only clue on his whereabouts, and I dedicated myself to finding him; creating the Aether Foundation just so I could bring him home. I spent years researching ways to open another wormhole, which wound up leading me to information a Pokémon called Cosmog."_

"But then…your methods began to bend the law; sometimes even breaking it," Naruto deduced, to which she nodded.

 _"Yes, they did. We wound up hiring criminals to help us bully our way into other labs for their equipment. I deceived everyone who was working with me into thinking we were building a_ Utopia _for future generations. But, it was all a lie. All I really wanted…was to bring Mohn back home."_

At the end of her tale, she was wiping away tears that were rolling down her cheeks. Thinking about the loss of her husband and how far she fell just to find him always made her emotional.

"…Thank you for telling me this, Aunty," Naruto said, waiting for her to recompose herself.

 _"You still call me that?"_ she asked, choking out a chuckle through her tears. _"Even after everything I've done; after realizing your father paid the price for my actions?"_

"You weren't doing this to try and take over a region, or to try and wipe out people or Pokémon. You did all of this because you wanted to bring back the person you loved; something that any widow could relate to." He gave her a small smile as he finished, "So, yes; I still call you Aunty."

She gave a gentle laugh as some more tears fell, feeling the weight of her guilt finally be removed thanks to her nephew's forgiveness. She gave him a sincere smile as she replied, _"Thank you, Naruto-kun."_

"Just make sure to keep supporting Gladion and Lillie-chan. They still need their mother, after all."

 _"I know, and I will,"_ she promised. _"Promise me that you'll keep her safe. Please…"_

"You have my word," he returned, bidding the woman goodbye before they both signed off.

* * *

Over on Lusamine's end, she moved away from her computer and laid down on her bed. Curling into herself, she began to weep once more. She wept for her lost husband, for her children who could've lost both of their parents…and for the compassionate young man she was blessed to call a nephew.

"Thank you…" she choked out through her tears, feeling the taint of her past sins be washed away.

* * *

"Akitsu, use Powder Snow!"

"Vul…PIX!" the ice vixen cried, blowing out a burst of powderized ice at the opponents Pidgey.

The small bird Pokémon gave a trill of pain before it was downed, knocked out from the fight. The young Trainer that had challenged Naruto looked shocked at the sight. "N-No way…"

Sighing in tandem with his Pokémon, Naruto let the kid keep his money as he headed to the Pokémon Mart. "I tried to warn him," he grumbled.

"Vul…" Akitsu agreed, a cute pout on her face.

"Well, at least Lillie-chan should be arriving today," he mused, smiling as his partner gave a happy yip. "This'll be the first time you both met face-to-face. You nervous, girl?"

Shaking her head, the Alolan Vulpix gave another happy cry of her name.

"Glad to hear it."

"Excuse me," he heard a familiar voice speak up, prompting him to turn and look across the road. He blinked in surprise at the sight of Lillie talking to Officer Jenny. "Could you point me to the Pokémon Center, please?"

"Yo, Lillie-chan!" he called, getting her attention. Grinning brightly, he gave her a wave while Akitsu jumped onto his shoulder.

"Naruto!" she returned happily, bidding the officer her thanks before running over to him. She slowed to a stop when she was about a foot away from him, her happiness changing to a look of adorable annoyance. "…So, you waited after all."

He rolled his eyes playfully. "Of course, I did. I wasn't looking forward to you chasing me all over Kanto if I didn't stick around."

She fumed, her cheeks blazing red in embarrassment. "I-I would never do such a thing!"

All he and Akitsu did was deadpan at her, making her cheeks redder; an accomplishment in Naruto's book. "Glad to see you made it here safely," he bid softly, placing a hand on her head and ruffling her hair gently.

She squeaked in further embarrassment, playing with her shirt shyly. Naruto was only one of two people who could get reactions out of her this easily, and she had a love-hate feeling towards that fact.

She was brought out of her embarrassment by Akitsu yipping happily. She looked to the vixen just in time for her to leap into Lillie's arms. Catching her, the green-eyed blonde giggled and let the Pokémon nuzzle her cheek.

"It's so great to finally meet you," she said sincerely, running a hand through the icy blue fur. "Has Naruto been taking good care of you?" Akitsu yipped and nodded, wagging her tails happily. "I'm glad."

"Hey, so how's Mizuki? (1)" Naruto asked. "I'm surprised she didn't come here with you."

Lillie smiled softly, her gaze going distant for a moment. "Mizuki-chan wanted to come, but I told her that she still needed to finish her Island Challenges." She turned to him and added, "I'm hoping to meet her at the port in Vermillion City."

"You actually convinced her to stay in Alola?"

That was a surprise to him. Mizuki was Lillie's closest female friend since they, him, and Gladion were all kids. In fact, the two were so close that they actually admitted that they had started dating a few months ago. It was a surprise to everyone, but they were happy for the two girls.

"It wasn't easy," Lillie admitted as the two of them headed for the Center, Akitsu still in her arms. "I had to promise her that I'd be careful while _she_ promised me that she'd finish her challenges in a month."

"One month, huh? How far along is she?"

"She's got one more island to tackle, actually. But, she's also trying to make sure her team is ready for anything _beyond_ the Island Challenges."

He chuckled. "Sounds like she'll be okay. Maybe after I get my team all figured out and trained, we could have a battle."

"I wouldn't underestimate her, onii-chan," she warned, giving him a stern look while Naruto smiled at her using a brotherly title for him. It meant she wasn't mad at him anymore. "Mizuki-chan is tougher than when you left Alola."

"Good. I'd be disappointed if she wasn't." He then surprised the younger blonde by pulling her into a warm hug; Akitsu having jumped back on his shoulder when she saw him start. "I'm glad you're here, imouto."

Her cheeks reddened slightly once more before she melted in his embrace. She loved her family and she cared deeply for Mizuki; but Naruto held a special place in her heart too. It was because of the bond she had with him that she was so upset that he began his journey without telling her.

But now, she was here with him. And she wasn't going to let him out of her sight; not when she hadn't seen him in person since he left Alola.

* * *

The next morning, the two blondes set off for the Viridian Forest. They had made sure to gather some information on the place and its best routes to find Pokémon before heading out.

Naruto already had a plan in mind for his team. Akitsu was an Ice Type; soon to be Fairy as well when she evolved into a Ninetales. He would need to find a good balance so that he and his Pokémon would be able to handle almost any challenge.

Here in the forest, he was hoping to find a decent Bug or Grass Type. He wasn't picky; but he needed to be sure that the Pokémon he found were as ready as he was.

As for Lillie, she was content with the going away present that Lusamine had given her before she left for Kanto. And that present was in her arms, kept warm in a portable incubation chamber. It was an egg that was dirt brown with cream colored spirals decorating it here and there. She couldn't wait to see what would hatch from it.

The two were brought out of their thoughts by a large blur darting passed them, moving from one side of brush that bordered the dirt road to the other.

"DRILL!" came a cry as a large bee Pokémon darted out of the woods, charging at the earlier blur. Both Alolan blondes watched it tear through the brush before one of its spear-like limbs rammed into a fuzzy purple Pokémon with red compound eyes and gray antennae.

They cringed at the hit, seeing the Venonat get sent hurtling into a tree before it slid down unconscious. The Beedrill hovered around the fallen Pokémon before it nodded to itself and turned around, making Naruto and Lillie yelp in surprise before ducking behind a tree. It didn't notice and flew past them, never looking back as it headed towards where they assumed its hive was.

"Geez, that was brutal," mused the whiskered blonde.

"I-It was so fast and intense," Lillie agreed with a shiver, referring to the look in the Beedrill's eyes as it chased down the Venonat. "W-What was that, anyway?"

"A Beedrill. It's a Bug and Poison Type," Naruto informed, looking at his PokéDex and showing Lillie the picture. "It's definitely strong, but I don't think it'd be a good idea to capture it."

"Why not?" she asked. That Beedrill was powerful, after all.

"Because it's defending a hive, most likely. If I caught it, the hive would see it as an attack and chase us down. No need to put ourselves in unnecessary danger, after all."

"That's true…"

"Anyway, there's still more forest to see. I'm sure I'll find a Pokémon here that'll catch my eye."

She nodded and shared a smile with him and Akitsu before the three of them resumed walking. While the forest was definitely full of Bug Pokémon, it was no less fascinating to them; considering how few forests there were in Alola. Most of the islands had open spaces, caverns, and springs.

"Vul!" Akitsu called, jumping in front of her Trainer in a low crouch, her eyes narrowed.

"What's up, girl?" he asked, earning a yip from her.

The yip called out to something, prompting the bushes to rustle before a small Pokémon walked out. It resembled a blue plant bulb with a round body, beady red eyes and oval, foot-like roots. Five large, green leaves were seen on its head, and it stared defiantly at Akitsu.

"Odd, Oddish!" it challenged, stamping one of its feet on the dirt.

"What's this Pokémon?" Naruto mused, activating his PokéDex.

 _"Oddish: The Weed Pokémon. This Pokémon grows by absorbing moonlight. During the daytime, it buries itself in the ground, leaving only its leaves exposed to avoid detection by its enemies. It is a Grass and Poison Type Pokémon, and is female."_

"Grass and Poison, eh?" He grinned excitedly, pocketing the electronic encyclopedia. "Ready for this, girl?"

"Vul!"

"Dish, Oddish!" the Oddish fired back, literally as she hopped and spun in place, launching a flurry of sharpened leaves.

"Crap, a Razor Leaf! Counter it with Powder Snow and then rush in with Quick Attack!"

The icy vixen let loose a burst of snow that froze the flying leaves and halted them in midair before she dashed through them in a blur, ramming into the Oddish with a shoulder charge. The Weed Pokémon cried in alarm before she righted herself midflight and landed on her feet, glaring at the vixen.

"Odd…DISH!" she declared, letting loose a cloud of purple spores that spread around her.

"Those don't look safe," Lillie noted worriedly.

"It's because they're not. It's Poison Powder…"

"Akitsu-chan, be careful!"

The Vulpix nodded, keeping her distance as the Oddish smirked behind its protective hazard. It then turned around and shook its backside at the ice vixen, making her cheeks redden as she glared at the Grass/Poison Type. Furiously, she let loose another Powder Snow that blew away the poisonous spores, catching the Oddish by surprise.

Both Trainer and Pokémon smirked at her as Naruto called out, "Akitsu, finish it with Extrasensory!" (2)

"Vul…" she began, her blue eyes glowing gold as a blue outline covered her form, "PIX!"

From her forehead, a golden burst of psychic energy shot out and stuck true, sending the Oddish flying into a tree. The impact was enough to leave a small indentation, and the Pokémon fell to the ground. To Naruto's amazement, she trembled as she gave everything she had to get back up.

He couldn't help but smile at the willpower the little Oddish had. "You're perfect," he declared, pulling out a PokéBall. "I hope we'll become good partners."

With that, he threw the ball, and it impacted against the Oddish before she was sucked into the ball in a red light. The PokéBall shook a couple of times before it stopped and a click was heard, making Naruto's smile widen into a grin. He picked up the ball and looked to it proudly before turning to his partner.

"Great job, girl. We caught our first Kanto Pokémon!"

"Vulpix!" she cheered with him.

Lillie walked over to them with a proud smile on her face. "That was excellent, you two! You were both great!"

"Thanks. Now," he looked back to the ball, "what should I name you?"

"What about…Kusano?" (3)

"Kusano?" he repeated, raising a brow.

Nodding, Lillie explained, "The PokéDex called Oddish a Weed Pokémon; which I think is pretty mean. So, why don't we call her something more related to grass?"

"Grass…and Kusano…" He hummed thoughtfully before smiling and nodding once. "Yeah, I like it! Kusano it is!"

Lillie looked pleased that he used her suggestion while Akitsu was just happy that her partner was one step closer to his goal. He clipped the PokéBall to his belt, and she leapt onto his shoulder once more.

"Well, ready to get out of here?"

Nodding, Lillie replied, "Yes, I'd like to get to Pewter City before it gets too late. I want to call mom when we get there."

"Yeah, I'll have to call my folks too. We better get a move on then."

The two then resumed their trek down the road through Viridian Forest, one member more in their happy group.

* * *

 **1~ Mizuki is the Japanese name for the female avatar for Sun and Moon. Moon (Mizuki) is the female character.**

 **2~ Extrasensory is an Egg Move that Alola Vupix can learn. Akitsu knows it because either Kurama or Koyuki knew it.**

 **3~ And another name borrowed from** _ **Sekirei**_ **. This will be the last one from that series, I promise.**

 **So, Naruto has a new travel companion in Lillie, as well as his first** _ **caught**_ **Pokémon! Things are looking up for the Orange Trainer, aren't they?**

 **As you read above, Lillie is in a yuri relationship with Mizuki (Moon). The reason for this is because, in my opinion, I could see Lillie going either way in terms of sexual interest. In the games, she gets close to the protagonist; growing stronger as she travels with them and forming a deep connection with them.**

 **So, I decided to go with Moon instead of Sun. My choice may be biased – seeing as I have** _ **Moon Version**_ **– but that's my liberty as the author of this FanFiction!**

 _ ***insert cliché villain laughter***_

 **At any rate, next chapter will have Naruto take on the Pewter City Gym! But who will be the Gym Leader at the time; Brock or his father?**

 **Until next time!**

 _ **~pain17ification~**_


	3. Chapter 3: Get Ready to Rock

**Chapter Three is here, everyone!**

 **Before I start, quite of few of you enjoyed how Naruto's Pokémon were being named after Sekirei. So, I'm just going to continue this trend for his remaining four Pokémon.**

 **DISCLAIMER: The rights to source material belong to the creators/owners of said material. I do not claim ownership of them, and this is a nonprofit story made solely for entertainment purposes.**

* * *

 _Adventures of the Orange Trainer_

 _Chapter Three: Get Ready to Rock_

* * *

"Here's your Pokémon, Uzumaki-san," the Nurse Joy of Pewter City informed the whiskered blonde, handing him a tray holding his Luxury Ball and PokéBall.

Taking the Balls out, Naruto let out Akitsu and clipped Kusano's PokéBall to his belt. "Thanks, Nurse Joy. Would it be alright if my friend and I booked a room here?"

The pinkette woman smiled politely and nodded. "Of course. I'll just get you a room key."

"Thank you. We'll be by the video phones," he told her before heading over to Lillie, who was chatting with her mother.

 _"Well, I'm glad that you and Naruto-kun are doing alright, dear,"_ Lusamine was heard telling her daughter. _"Now, be sure to pay attention to him as he battles and handles each situation. If you want to be a Trainer, then you need to learn from others, so you can understand the tricks of the trade."_

"I know, mother," Lillie replied. "I'll be with onii-chan the whole time; so, I'm bound to learn as he does."

"Yep," Naruto cut in, earning their attention. "As I stumble or succeed, she'll be there with me all the way, Aunty."

 _"Hello again, Naruto-kun. Lillie-chan told me that you caught a Pokémon for the first time. Nice job."_

He rubbed the back of his head bashfully. "It wasn't just me, ttebayo…"

The two female blondes looked amused at his verbal tic and at how he grumbled about it. _"So, from what I've read concerning the Kanto Region, Pewter City's Gym Leader is considered one of the leading experts on Rock and Ground Types. Akitsu won't have the full advantage here."_

Naruto nodded at her information. "Yeah, I know. Ice beats Ground, but Rock beats Ice." He then grinned and added, "Good thing that I caught an Oddish to deal with _both_ of those typings."

Lusamine smirked at that. _"Clever boy. But, even with the type advantage, never underestimate the tricks that you can pull off with your Pokémon. I've seen battles where Pokémon facing disadvantages in typing still came out on top. It's all a matter of playing to your strengths, Naruto-kun."_

"Good thing onii-chan's strength is his pranks," Lillie giggled out, confusing the other blondes.

"My pranks…?"

She nodded in confirmation. "Yes. It takes creativity to do your pranks since you never go for simple. If you applied that creativity with training methods…"

 _"…then his Pokémon could come up with unique tactics to handle most situations,"_ Lusamine finished with her visible green eye slightly wider. _"Who would've guessed my trouble-making nephew would have such a_ strength _?"_

Scratching his whiskered cheek in embarrassment, Naruto chuckled sheepishly. "I didn't think about that… Great idea, Lillie-chan."

Only Lusamine saw the flushed cheeks the blonde girl had, and it made her chuckle. _"Anyway, I need to get going. Good luck in your Gym Battle, Naruto-kun. Lillie-chan, take care of yourself."_

"Bye," both younger blondes bid before Lusamine logged off.

"Well, I suppose I'd better call my parents," Naruto noted, taking a seat in front of the other video phone. "I booked us a room already. Nurse Joy should be back with some keys for us."

"Rest sounds good right now," Lillie sighed out, showing how tired she was from the trip. She leaned her head on his shoulder with a yawn while he dialed home. Akitsu settled herself on Lillie's lap, much to her joy as Kushina answered the call.

 _"So, you made it to Pewter, huh?"_ she greeted with a smile. _"You both must be pretty tired, though. Why didn't you wait until you rested before calling?"_

The deadpanned look her son gave her was all the answer she needed, which made her awkwardly cough.

 _"…So, you think you're ready to tackle your first Gym?"_ she asked, changing the subject with an embarrassed blush.

"I'm going to train with Akitsu and my new Oddish before I take it on."

 _"Oddish, eh? Not my first choice in Grass Types; but this is your team, not mine."_

"She'll be a good addition to the group, mom. I know it," Naruto defended. "She's a fighter, trying to get back up after getting beat by Akitsu-chan."

Kushina rose a brow at that. _"Interesting. What'd you name her?"_

"Lillie came up with Kusano for me."

"I thought it fit," the female blonde clarified with a tired smile.

 _"Lillie, dear, why don't you go get some rest?"_

"We're waiting for our room keys," Naruto informed her. "I don't mind being her pillow until then."

 _"So long as she gets some rest, then that's fine. Anyway, after you get your first badge, give us another call and we'll send you something from home."_

That got his interest, as well as Lillie's. "What will you send him, Aunt Kushina?"

 _"That's my secret until he wins. Better make sure to give it your all, Naruto-kun."_

"You think I'd giving anything less than one hundred percent?" he challenged.

 _"Funny, I thought the Uzumaki limit was one hundred and_ ten _percent?"_ she fired back in amusement before she bid them goodbye and logged off.

Not long after the call ended, Nurse Joy came over with two sets of keys for the two blondes. The two thanked her before heading up to their room to sleep. It had been a long walk through the forest and they needed their rest.

* * *

The following day, Naruto was seen with his two Pokémon at the Pokémon Center's practice field. Ever Center had one for Trainers to use, being perfectly positioned so that the staff could take care of Pokémon who overworked themselves or got accidentally hurt during training.

"Okay, we're going to have a practice battle," he informed them, earning nods. "Akitsu, you will battle Kusano and I'll be helping direct her. Sound good?"

Akitsu gave an affirmative yip before she moved to the other side of the field. Kusano stood in front of Naruto, facing down the Ice Type with a determined gaze.

"Remember Kusano, you need to pay attention to both what I'm saying and what's happening around you. Move how you need to, but don't forget to listen to what I tell you."

"Oddish!" she replied, using one of her leaves to salute him excitedly.

"Good." Looking to Akitsu, he gave a single nod, signaling her to begin the mock battle.

Akitsu kicked things off with a Quick Attack, mixing in a Double Team to throw off Kusano's concentration. The Oddish faltered for a moment, but she shared a look with her Trainer and regained her focus.

"Okay, hit them all with a Razor Leaf!" he called out, prompting Kusano to take a spinning leap. From her leaves, sharpened blades of grass flew across the field and broke through the illusionary copies of her opponent while the real one leapt over the ones aimed at her. "Use Sleep Powder around yourself!"

Shuddering in place, Kusano let off a greenish-blue powder that surrounded her like a protective cloud. Not wanting to get caught, Akitsu stopped her charge and took a short hop back before unleashing a Powder Snow to blow away the slumber-inducing pollen.

"Push back with Sweet Scent, Kusano!" Naruto ordered, having a random idea pop into his mind.

While unsure of what her Trainer was planning with her abilities, Kusano let out a delectably smelling aroma that flew forward. To her surprise, the aroma was mixing with the Sleep Powder and was pushing it forward as well. The mixed dust met its icy combatant and the two powders battled for dominance.

Deciding to end it, Akitsu covered herself in a golden aura, using her Extrasensory to take hold of her Powder Snow and press onwards. With the added boost of the Psychic Type move, her attack pushed through the slumbering/sweet dust and crashed into Kusano, sending her tumbling back into Naruto's legs.

"Alright, that's enough!" he called out, bending down to help his Oddish get back on her feet. Akitsu ran over and stood beside her fellow Pokémon, looking proud of her victory while Kusano pouted at her loss. "Hey, none of that, Kusano. This is why we're practicing. This won't be the first time that a Psychic Type will use a mental move to put things in their favor."

She was still pouting before Akitsu nudged her. The Ice Type gave a firm yip which made the Grass/Poison Type drop her pout for a sigh and nod.

"So, let's try once more. This time though, no Psychic moves, Akitsu-chan."

"Vul!"

* * *

"Have a nice practice?" Lillie asked when Naruto and his two Pokémon joined her for lunch at the Center's cafeteria.

"I'd say we did," he replied with a grin, enjoying some instant ramen while his Pokémon enjoyed some Oran Berries. "Kusano needs to relax some more, though. She gets worked up pretty easily."

The Oddish paused in her eating, looking sheepish at the critique of her Trainer.

"And Akitsu?"

"She did great on her own. I've worked with her for months, so she has a solid idea of how I like to use her moves in battle. We're going to need to come up with newer tactics, though. If we keep using the same moves, then it makes it easier for us to be beaten."

She nodded in agreement. "Mizuki-chan says that she likes to switch up her battle style often, or else she'll get stuck in a rut."

"Sounds like her, alright," he chuckled out, and she giggled alongside him.

"Naruto?" a girl's voice called out, earning their attention as they looked to another table. Seated was a familiar orange-haired teen. "Who'd have thought I'd see you again in Pewter?"

"Misty!" he greeted, waving her over to their table. Lillie moved over to sit beside him so that Misty could be seated across from them. "What are you doing here? Weren't you trying to find that kid who destroyed your bike?"

"I did find him, and I'm staying with him until he pays me back."

Looking around, Lillie tried to find who they could be talking about. "Is he here with you?"

Shaking her head, Misty answered, "No, he tried to take on Brock at the Gym and lost. He rushed back here to heal up his Pikachu and I haven't seen him since. He took his loss pretty hard."

"He actually tried to face a Rock/Ground Gym with an Electric Type?" Naruto asked in disbelief. "I don't know whether to call him an amateur or cocky."

"The former," Misty clarified. "He didn't seem like he knew much about type matchups, and it cost him."

"Sounds like it. I'm actually going to be challenging the Gym later today." He reached down and pet Akitsu's head, much to her delight, before he brushed his fingers through Kusano's leaves. "I think we've got a really good shot at it."

Misty smiled at his Pokémon. "Yeah, you definitely have the type advantages with your team. You going to challenge Brock after lunch?"

"No, not right after. I don't want them to get sick. I'll let them walk some of it off before I challenge the Gym."

"That's a good idea," she agreed. "So, who's this girl next to you?"

"My name is Lillie Aether," the female blonde introduced herself, extending a hand to shake.

Taking it politely, Misty shook it with a small smile. "Nice to meet you. You traveling with Naruto?"

"Yes. We knew each other back in Alola, and our parents are close friends; almost family. Naruto is like an older brother to me."

"And Lillie-chan is my adorable little imouto!" he added, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and nuzzling his whisker-marked cheek against her, making her turn beet red in embarrassment.

"O-Onii-chan!" she cried out in mortification, unable to believe that he actually did that in front of someone they barely knew.

Misty started laughing at the scene, feeling a sense of familiarity and kinship with Lillie. She grew up with older siblings, and she knew how embarrassing they could be. Still, she didn't expect Naruto to be the type to gush over their family.

Letting her go with a cheeky grin, Naruto rubbed Lillie's head affectionately, making her face retain its blush. This time, it wasn't out of embarrassment though; but, she wouldn't admit that to him.

Lunch after that was a casual affair, with the three young teens just talking about what they thought of Pewter so far and what Pokémon they liked. Lillie, having never had a Pokémon to call her own before, was open to seeing which Pokémon she would take a shine to. Misty was a lover of Water Types, being a fan of water-based sports and enjoying the Pokémon around her as she did them.

As for Naruto, he didn't have a preference other than he wanted a team with hidden potential. When Misty asked what he meant, he gave the example of Kusano and how she tried to stand after Akitsu beat her. That determination showed a potential that he was looking for, and he knew he wanted her on his team at that moment.

That explanation was all Misty needed to hear to see that Naruto would have an interesting team in the future.

* * *

By the time Naruto had walked off his lunch with his team and Lillie, they saw that a kid with a Pikachu on his shoulder was walking back to town. The two of them had determined looks on their faces, and Naruto caught a watermill in the distance. He said nothing to them and just kept walking, unaware that Naruto and Lillie had stopped walking and turned around to watch him go.

"That must be the boy that Misty was talking about," Lillie mused.

"Looks that way," Naruto agreed, turning back to direction of the watermill. "…I think he was giving his Pikachu some juice."

"What do you mean?" she asked, turning to him before looking where he was. Realization hit her, and she nodded in understanding. "I see… Do you think it'll be enough?"

"Against a Ground Type? No, it won't. Ground Types are totally immune to Electric Types, no matter how charged up they are. That kid's gotta be banking on something if he thinks giving his Pikachu some extra juice will help him win."

With that said, both blondes approached the Pewter Gym, climbing the steps before Naruto opened the door. With Lillie walking behind him, he stepped inside the Gym far enough for the lights to turn on and highlight his form.

"Challenger!" a male voice declared as another light turned on, revealing Brock to them. He was a tall young man with dark skin, spiky brown hair, and squinted eyes. He was dressed in an orange t-shirt, a lime green cargo vest with four pockets, a dark brown belt with a gold buckle and dark red pockets, brown jeans, and blue-gray sneakers with white trim. "Welcome to the Pewter City Gym, home of the rugged Rock Types! Are you ready for our battle?"

The greeting was intense and focused, which made Naruto grin foxily. "Do you say that to anyone who walks in? I could've just been asking for directions to somewhere, pal."

That serious atmosphere was gone, and Brock face faulted at the casual dismissal of his – to him – strong greeting. Getting back up and wiping any dust off his clothes, he fired back, "And are you just asking for directions?"

"Nah! I'm here to kick your ass and take that badge!" Naruto returned, his grin changing from joking to excited. "So, let's get things started, Gym Leader!"

Brock smirked at his confidence while the Gym lit up fully, revealing a rocky battlefield and some bleachers off to the side. Sitting in those bleachers were many young kids who were obviously related to Brock; more than likely siblings.

Lillie moved over to the bleachers, sitting down closer to Naruto's side while the oldest of the children moved over to the referee's podium. "This will be a two-on-two Pokémon battle between Brock, Leader of the Pewter Gym, and the challenger. Only the challenger may switch Pokémon for this battle. Are both Trainers ready?"

"…Kinda biased to have family be your ref, ain't it?" Naruto asked casually, unclipping a PokéBall from his belt.

"Maybe, but I trust my brother to be a fair judge and I will call the match in your favor if he isn't," Brock promised, giving a firm look to his sibling who cringed.

"I-I'll be fair; promise!"

Naruto chuckled at the boy's nerves. "Relax, kid. Just start the match."

Taking a breath, the boy raised up a red and green flag in both hands with a yell of, "Begin!"

(Play " _Pokémon R/B/Y Remix: Gym Leader Battle_ " by PokeRemixStudios)

"Geodude, I choose you!" Brock called out, throwing out his Pokémon. It looked like a large rock with a face and two arms.

"Kusano, let's go!" Naruto returned, sending out his Oddish who stood tall and proud in front of her Trainer. "Kick things off with Sweet Scent!"

Curling her leaves over her head and shuddering, a pink cloud of pollen formed over Kusano before she unleashed it as a mist that spread out from her position. Using her leaves as fans, she directed the mist onwards so that it could start to cover the entire field.

"Geodude, use Rollout!"

"Dude!" the Rock Type cried, curling itself into a rugged ball shape that rolled forward, ignoring the pleasant aroma as it rapidly approached Kusano.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Naruto smirk and nod, which made her smirk as well. Curling her leaves downward, she had the tops of them press against the ground and coil themselves in preparation as her opponent drew closer.

"Steady…" Naruto murmured so only she could hear. "Not yet…" Kusano stared at Geodude as it kept rapidly closing in, less than a meter from her position. When half the distance was cut, he called out, "Now!"

Using her leaves to propel her body into the air, she flipped over the rolling Rock/Ground Type who was taking a wide turn to continue its attack. As this was going on, the Sweet Scent was still mixing into the air around them, and it was starting to affect the Geodude. Its rolling was slowing down, leaving him wide open.

"Alright, Kusano," Naruto began, grinning before stretching his hand out, "finish it off with Razor Leaf!"

"Odd…" she drew out, twisting her body before leaping up unleashing both the tension and a flurry of sharpened leaves, "DISH!"

The leaves flew across the field, and Brock tried to warn his Pokémon of the danger. "Geodude, uncurl yourself and dodge!"

The Rock/Ground Type tried to comply with the order, but as soon as it uncurled itself, it was hit by the full smell of the Sweet Scent before the Razor Leaf met its mark. The Grass Type attack struck its face and sent it tumbling back, crashing into one of the rocky outcroppings that littered the battlefield. Its bulk easily broke through, which only served to damage it further before it slowed to a stop, laying on its back with swirled eyes.

"Geodude is unable to battle!" Brock's brother called out, raising the red flag in his left hand. "The challenger's Pokémon wins!"

"Nice job, Kusano!" Naruto called out.

"Great work, you two!" Lillie added from the bleachers, clapping for them while Brock's other siblings grumbled at the loss.

Brock returned his Geodude to its PokéBall, smiling at the sphere in his hand. "Nice work, buddy. You get some rest." He then reached for another PokéBall clipped to his belt. "Are you sticking with your Oddish?"

"Feel up for another round, Kusano?" Naruto asked his Pokémon, who nodded with a determined smile, turning around so that she could face whoever was next. "That's a yes, Brock."

"I admire her confidence," he complimented, raising his PokéBall so that it faced them both. "However, let's see how she handles my Onix!"

Releasing the Pokémon from its ball, the building-sized snake made of connecting rocks roared at them in all its glory. Naruto's violet eyes were wide at the sight, having never seen an Onix before. As for Kusano, she too had her eyes wide at who her opponent was; and she wasn't feeling so confident anymore given the differences in size and ferocity between herself and the Rock/Ground Type.

"Begin the second match!" the young ref declared.

"Onix, use Dig!" Brock ordered quickly, prompting the rocky snake to burrow underground headfirst.

"Stay calm and try to feel any vibrations, Kusano!" Naruto advised, frowning when he felt tremors from the Pokémon's digging. He saw that his Pokémon was trying to stay on her feet, but the tremors were throwing her off balance. "Kusano, jump now!"

She was able to plant her feet for a split second and prepared to jump, but the ground beneath her cracked and Onix shot out from below her. Bashing her with his solid head, she was sent hurtling into the air before Onix used its tail to smash her back to the ground.

"Kusano!" Naruto cried in panic, seeing the dust pick up from her impact as well as some small rocks getting kicked up. When the dust cleared, he choked on his breath when he saw that she was badly bruised and knocked unconscious.

"Oddish is unable to battle!" Brock's brother called out, sounding noticeably happier than when he declared his brother's loss. "Onix is the winner of the second match!"

With a faint growl, Naruto returned his Pokémon and gripped her PokéBall tightly. "…You were awesome, Kusano. We'll keep getting stronger, I promise." Looking down beside him, he saw that Akitsu was growling at the Onix, clearly angry at the beating her fellow Pokémon had taken. "Alright, girl. Let's show them what Alola is made of."

"Vul!" she cried in agreement, leaping onto the field and crouching low in a ready stance.

"A white Vulpix…?" Brock asked slowly, never hearing of such a thing before.

"Don't be so focused on her coloration," Naruto warned, his brows furrowed as he tightened his headband. "That's the least of your concerns right now, Gym Leader."

Brock frowned at the attitude the blonde had before he thought back on the match. _'Maybe Onix was a bit too rough on his Oddish… Although, if he gets this worked up from one of his Pokémon getting hurt, then he won't last long in future Gym Battles.'_

"Let the final match begin!" he heard his brother declare, getting him to refocus on the battle.

"Akitsu, Hail!" Naruto ordered, and the small vixen complied as the blues of her eyes gained a whitish sheen. Above the battlefield, storm clouds began to form, bringing along some misty fog as small shards of ice began to rain down. "Now, use Double Team!"

Akitsu's form shimmered before illusionary copies of herself began to appear throughout the field; each of them being revealed as the fog rolled around. Onix tried to locate the real one before it winced as some sharpened ice rained down on its large body.

"Onix, go for Dig once more!" Brock ordered, and the Onix was all too happy to comply.

With her opponent out of sight, Akitsu stood her ground and awaited instruction from her partner. "Okay, Akitsu," she heard Naruto say from the mist, "concentrate and try to find that snake."

She and her copies all nodded, closing their eyes to drown everything else out. Their ears twitched and their bodies were tense as they tried to hear or feel the rocky serpent moving underground. After a moment, she and the copies all perked up just in time for the Onix to break out from the surface and dispel one of the illusions.

"Quick, use Confuse Ray!"

Locking eyes with the Onix, her blue orbs flashed once, and she saw the black pupils of the snake's eyes go dull as the status ailment took effect. With its movements flustered, the Onix began to attack the ground, slamming its head and body onto the field and damaging itself while the icy shards of Hail kept pelting its body.

"Onix, snap out of it!" Brock tried to order, but his words weren't getting through to his Pokémon. He gritted his teeth at the damage his Onix was taking, but his expression changed to surprise when he saw the raining ice shards gain a golden glow before the moved over to Akitsu and began to orbit around her like a protective ring.

While the icy shards circled her, the mist and clouds dispersed and revealed Naruto standing calmly with a small frown on his face. "Extrasensory," he declared softly, and Akitsu complied with a sharp cry of her name, sending all of the collected Hail towards Onix like a flurry of wind and sharp ice.

"Onix, move!" he tried to order, seeing how his Pokémon had finally snapped out of its confusion. But, it was too late, and the Rock/Ground Pokémon was assaulted by a furious barrage of ice that hit its weak typing and sent it crashing down. "Onix, no!"

When the frigid dust from the impact cleared, Brock was left in shock at his Pokémon's unconscious state while his brother called out in disbelief, "O-Onix is unable to continue…" Slowly, he raised the flag in Naruto's favor and finished, "The…winner is the challenger."

Lillie gave a sigh of relief at her surrogate brother's victory, but a part of her felt it was slightly bitter for him. She had seen his reaction to Kusano getting hurt like that, and she knew that he must've been upset at how hurt she was.

However, when she saw him take a breath and give a small smile, she smiled as well. She never liked seeing Naruto upset; having seen him like that once and finding it one time too many. Standing up, she moved over to him while Akitsu jumped onto his shoulder and nuzzle his head with her body.

"Congrats, onii-chan," she said softly.

"Yeah… This was my first major battle; so, I should've expected my Pokémon to get hurt. But still…"

"I know," she replied, placing a hand on his arm to show her support. "I'm just glad you stayed calm."

"Me too…"

They heard someone clear their throat, and they turned to see Brock standing in front of them with a small case in his hand. "This is for you," he explained, handing Naruto the case and opening it to display his earned Boulder Badge. "Great match, and sorry about your Oddish."

"No, don't be. I shouldn't have expected this journey to go without my Pokémon or me getting hurt." He gave Brock a small smile and offered him his fist. "Bygones."

Brock smiled back and bumped fists with Naruto. "Bygones. So, I had a question about your Vulpix."

"She's an Ice Type that can only be found in the Alola Region, where I was born," he answered the unasked question. "You wouldn't believe how many times I've had to say that and how many more times I'm expecting to say it."

Both young men chuckled at that while Lillie smiled. "Well, she's definitely been raised properly by you. You should be proud."

"I'm always going to be proud of Akitsu-chan," Naruto declared, earning a happy nuzzle from her. Giving the man a nod, he and Lillie began to leave the Gym while Naruto waved over his shoulder. "Thanks for the match, Brock. Keep your ear out for more victories by Naruto Uzumaki of the Alola Region!"

Brock chuckled at the confidence the whiskered blonde exuded. "I'll be sure to do that," he said aloud, heading back to his siblings to get his Pokémon ready for any other challengers.

* * *

Later that night, Naruto was seen phoning home while Lillie was asleep in their room. "Tada! First Badge of Kanto!" he declared as he showed his parents the Boulder Badge.

 _"Nice work, son,"_ Minato praised. _"Sorry I missed your other call."_

"It's fine, dad. I'm guessing you were called for advice again?"

Despite Minato being medically discharged from the Alolan Police Force, he still received calls from the current Chief when it concerned more difficult cases. Minato was happy to answer them, seeing them as a way to still be part of the force.

 _"No, not this time. I was actually called by Professor Kukui. He says that he's setting up a Pokémon League in Alola and he wanted to invite you to challenge it after you finish Kanto's Indigo League."_

"Really?" Naruto asked in surprise. "I'd love to, but I thought I'd need to take on the Island Challenges before taking on the League?"

 _"He decided to make an exception,"_ Kushina clarified. _"He said that Mizuki is going to wait until you finish the Indigo League so that she could challenge the Alola League with you."_

That made Naruto grin. "I guess I'd better get the badges quicker then."

 _"Don't be too hasty, son,"_ Minato admonished. _"Haste makes waste."_

"Yeah yeah, I know…"

Kushina looked amused when Minato huffed at his advice being brushed off so casually. _"Anyway, since you got your first badge, I'm going to send over what I've been holding onto for you. Hang on."_

From his end of the video call, Naruto saw his mother place a package on the item transferal device and activate it. Beside the screen, he saw the same device activate before the light showing a received delivery flashed. Opening the casing, he pulled out the package and showed it to his parents.

"Got it."

 _"Well, go ahead and open it,"_ Kushina urged him with a smile that was shared by her husband.

Naruto opened the box and pulled out a rounded object covered in cloth. Unfolding the cloth, his eyes widened when he saw an icy stone. "T-This is…"

 _"Yes, it's an Ice Stone. When you're_ sure _that you and Akitsu are ready for that next step, then you can use this to make her evolve."_

"Mom…" He slowly recovered the stone in its cloth, raising his head to show his parents the smile he had. "Thanks…"

 _"Of course, sweetheart. Now, your father and I are going to get to bed. Give us a call again when you get to the next city."_

 _"Cerulean City should be easy to get to after you get through Mt. Moon,"_ Minato added. _"Try and help Lillie catch a Pokémon there, yeah?"_

"Aunt Lusamine ask you to pass that message?" Naruto asked curiously.

 _"Yes, but we want her to have a Pokémon too,"_ he replied with a smile. _"Goodnight, son."_

 _"Sleep well, dear,"_ Kushina bid before she ended the call.

Leaning back in the chair he was seated in, Naruto looked down at the clothed stone resting in the box on his lap. Slowly closing the box back up, he headed back to his room for the night.

As he slept, he had dreams of his little Akitsu growing from a cute Vulpix to a beautiful Ninetales, standing tall beside him as they looked to the sea from Alolan shores. And those dreams made him smile.

* * *

 **And that's that! How'd you guys like the battles?**

 **I wanted this story to be my final update of the year 2017, and I hope that it turned out well.**

 **Next up, Naruto and Lillie tackle the famous Mt. Moon! How will Lillie do when she tries to capture her first Pokémon? And how will they handle their first run in with Kanto's infamous criminal organization?**

 **Until next year!**

 _ **~pain17ification~**_


	4. Chapter 4: Moon Caves and Rocketeers

**Chapter Four coming at ya!**

 **DISCLAIMER: The rights to source material belong to the creators/owners of said material. I do not claim ownership of them, and this is a nonprofit story made solely for entertainment purposes.**

 **(-)**

 _Adventures of the Orange Trainer_

 _Chapter Four: Moon Caves and Rocketeers_

 **(-)**

"Ready to go?" Naruto asked Lillie the following morning, shouldering his pack while Akitsu sat beside his leg.

Adjusting her own pack, Lillie gave her fellow blonde a smile and nod, prompting both to make their way east of Pewter City towards the entrance of Mt. Moon. First, they would have to cut through Route 3, which was long enough to allow Trainers to prepare their Pokémon for the winding cavern that waited for them.

"So, it's rumored that Mt. Moon was where Clefairy was first discovered after it crashed down from space," Lillie informed Naruto, reading through a brochure on the mountain she got from the Pokémon Center. "There is also a strangely high count of meteor showers that can be seen falling towards its summit."

"That's pretty cool," Naruto responded, grinning at the information. "Think we'll run into any Clefairy in there?"

"Oh, I hope so. I've seen pictures and videos of them, and I've always wanted a Clefairy."

Naruto perked up at that, turning to look at Lillie over his shoulder. "Alright then. Before we leave, I'll make sure to help you find one to catch."

"Vul!" Akitsu agreed determinedly.

"You will?" Lillie asked in slight surprise before her cheeks dusted pink when she felt Naruto reach over and ruffle the top of her head affectionately.

"Of course, I will. It'd be kinda messed up if I didn't help my imouto-chan when she needed it."

Puffing her cheeks, she crossed her arms and turned away from him. "You know I don't like you calling me that."

He chuckled. "I know. But, if I let you call me _onii-chan_ , it's only fair that I call you a fitting name in response."

She huffed and resumed walking, passing him with an annoyed blush before he followed with another chuckle. They nearly erupted into laughs when he heard her grumbling about _stupid onii-chan_.

Akitsu jumped onto his shoulder and settled herself as he followed Lillie, enjoying the warmth he gave off. "Comfy, girl?" he asked, earning a nuzzle in reply. "Hehe… That's good. Why don't we let Kusano out for some exercise?"

When she nodded, Naruto released the Oddish from her PokéBall, the Grass/Poison Type looking pleased to be in the warm sunlight. "Oddish!" she greeted cheerfully.

"Had a feeling you'd like some fresh air, Kusano-chan. You excited for Mt. Moon?"

She nodded firmly, showing that she was ready for anything.

"That's what I wanna see!" he praised, never noticing Lillie looking back with a smile at how he interacted with his Pokémon. "So, let's get moving. To Mt. Moon we go!"

"Vul!/Dish!" his Pokémon cheered with him.

It took them over an hour of walking to get through Route 3, no thanks to some Trainers challenging them to Pokémon Battles. While they cut into their time, Naruto was glad that his Pokémon got some exercise and practice under their belts. They stopped for a short rest at the entrance, with Lillie using some medicine to help Akitsu and Kusano before Naruto returned the Grass/Poison Type to her Ball.

"Hey, is it me, or does the cave not seem as dark as I thought it should?" Naruto asked aloud to Lillie, who looked to the entrance. The two blondes saw that, while it was dark, it wasn't as obscured by the natural darkness as it should've been.

"Maybe someone has a lantern set near the entrance?" Lillie suggested, earning a shrug from Naruto as they both stepped inside. Once they walked through the natural entrance, they saw that some lights had been strung on the sidewalls of the cavern, giving an artificial light that ruined the natural atmosphere. "This can't be good for any Pokémon who live here…"

"It isn't. Look," Naruto replied, pointing to a colony of blue colored bats that were flying around in a daze. Some of the little blue bats were so disoriented by the artificial lights that they flew into the walls.

Holding out his PokéDex, Naruto gather information on them.

 _"Zubat: The Bat Pokémon. While living in pitch-black caverns, their eyes gradually grew shut and deprived them of vision. They use ultrasonic waves to detect obstacles."_

One in particular, who appeared smaller than the average Pokémon in the colony, flew into one of the lights and broke the glass bulb with its wing. The heated light inside burned the Zubat's wing, making it screech in pain before falling to the floor. It struggled to get up, trying to flap its wings before hissing in pain.

The rest of the colony moved on as best they could, ignoring the cries of their fallen brother and retreating to safer areas of Mt. Moon's caverns. Naruto frowned sadly at that, slowly walking over to the Zubat and crouching down next to him.

"Hey, buddy," he greeted gently, earning his attention. "You look pretty hurt. Why don't you let me and my friend take a look at that wing of yours?"

He hissed at them and tried to take off, but his wings barely let him hover above the ground before the burn became too much. It tumbled ungracefully and gave a frustrated cry before trying again and again. Each time was the same, gradually getting worse as the pain of his burn and his growing exhaustion made him continuously fall back down.

After the tenth attempt, the Zubat laid where he fell, weakly raising its head towards where his colony had flown towards. He felt vibrations in the ground and smelled the human from before crouched beside him once again.

"If you let us heal your wing, we'll help find your colony too, little guy," Naruto promised, waiting for a response.

The Zubat regarded the human silently for some time, smelling him out and listening to his heartbeat thanks to his superior hearing. After his moment of silent contemplation, he gave a short nod and allowed the human to pick him up and carry him over to the scent of the female human traveling with him.

"Got any Burn Heals, Lillie-chan?"

"Hang on," she replied, searching through her pack after putting aside the incubator and egg her mother gave her. After some searching, she smiled and pulled out a spritz bottle with a red-colored liquid inside. "Here we go."

"You mind spraying it while I hold his wing open?" Naruto requested, using one hand to rub the Zubat's head while the other gently eased his wing open. A couple of spritzes later and the burn was already showing signs of healing. "Sweet! Now, you just gotta rest that wing for a little while and then you'll be back up and flying in no time."

The Zubat flexed his wings warily and, to his pleasant surprise, he found that his wing didn't hurt nearly as bad as it had before. This stunned him, for he hadn't met humans who were this kind to his colony or other Zubat colonies. Most either knocked them out left and right or chased them off; but these two were…different.

 **(-)**

Tired grunts were heard mixed with the sounds of cavern walls being dug into. The culprits behind these noises were two young adults dressed in matching uniforms save for alterations between genders. The woman was a redhead with long hair that swept in a graceful curve and stopped just below her backside. The man had blue hair that was cut just above his shoulders and framed his face perfectly.

Beside them, walking on two legs, was a cream colored feline Pokémon with brown fur on the tips of his hind legs and his slightly curled tail. He had six prominent whiskers with four poking out from the sides of his face and the final two pointed upwards, framing a golden coin that had a brilliant sheen to it. on his head, like the two humans, was a bump cap with a light attached while he was using a pickaxe alongside them.

These three were Jessie, James, and Meowth of the infamous Team Rocket, a criminal organization that had originated in the Kanto Region; though, they were rumored to have members in various other regions.

"Anything?" Jessie asked, her voice showing tired annoyance.

"Nothing," James answered with a grunt as he struck the wall once more. "You'd think that a cavern _named_ after the Moon Stone would have a wellspring of them for the taking."

"We just gotta dig deeper!" Meowth exclaimed, putting more effort into his swings. "I swear I saw a Clefairy earlier, and they're known to worship the _original_ Moon Stone. If we can find that and give it to the Boss…"

The Pokémon let the statement hang, and his human companions both smirked in agreement. Nodding as one, the three resumed their digging with more gusto than before.

 **(-)**

"Let's see if we can do anything about these lights," Naruto mused, reaching up to pull a section of them down. When he saw that they were all connected, an idea passed through his mind. "Akitsu, c'mere."

When she went over, Naruto used a pocket knife to cut the casing surrounding the wires open, showing the exposed wires to the Vulpix. Getting the idea, she waited for him to set them down and get clear before she hit the wires with some snow. The frost melted, and the water short-circuited the wires before the lights went out, the darkness covering the caverns as the lights turned off down the line.

"It looks like whoever set up these lights went down that way," Lillie mused, pulling out a glow stick to give them a light source; one that was more environmentally friendly. "We should probably- Look!" she gasped out, raising the glow stick to try and light up the area more.

Turning to where she was looking, Naruto's violet eyes widened at what Lillie had noticed. Walking around before them was a bipedal pink Pokémon with a chubby, vaguely star-shaped body. A small, pointed tooth protruded from the upper left corner of its mouth and it had wrinkles beside its black oval eyes. Dark pink oval markings were seen on its cheeks and it had two small wings and some large pointed ears with brown tips. A tuft of fur curled over its forehead, much like its large upward-curling tail while each stocky arm had two small claws and a thumb on each hand, and each of its feet had a single toenail.

"That's a Clefairy," Naruto exclaimed quietly, holding up his PokéDex.

 _"Clefairy: The Fairy Pokémon. On every night of a full moon, they come out to play. When dawn arrives, the tired Clefairy go to sleep nestled up against each other in deep and quiet mountains."_

"Oh, it's so cute!" Lillie gushed, making sure not to do so too loudly. She didn't want to surprise the Pokémon. "Naruto, you have to catch it for me! Please!"

"You don't have any Pokémon that can battle, do you?" he asked, earning a headshake from her. "Okay, then." He pulled out a PokéBall and handed it to her. "I'll try and weaken it for you. When I tell you to, throw that Ball and see if it'll capture it."

She nodded eagerly before setting her features into a firm – yet adorable – look of determination. "I'm ready."

Nodding back, Naruto turned back to the Fairy Pokémon and declared, "Akitsu, use Powder Snow!"

After a deep inhale, the Ice Type let out a burst of snow with a cry of, "PIX!"

The Clefairy looked to them in surprise when she heard the cry, leaping to the side to avoid the attack. With a squeak of fear, she turned tail and started to run, followed by the two humans and Pokémon. The Zubat had decided to nestle himself in Naruto's hair, observing the scene without a care. It wasn't like he could fly off until his wing was better, anyway.

"Keep at it, Akitsu!"

"Vulpix!" she replied, sending out burst after burst of powderized snow at the Fairy Pokémon, who frantically dodged them and kept heading deeper into the caverns.

"I was hoping we wouldn't have to chase it!" Lillie despaired, feeling guilty. "I didn't want to scare it!"

"Hey, you wanted a Clefairy, and this is the best opportunity now!" Naruto replied before turning back to the Clefairy. "Akitsu, cut it off with Quick Attack!"

The ice vixen nodded before she blurred forward, racing past the Fairy Type before stopping directly in her path, making the Clefairy hop back in surprise before she noticed that she was cut off on both sides. She gave a whimper and backed herself against the wall, looking absolutely terrified.

Lillie saw this and felt her guilt skyrocket, prompting her to place her arm in front of Naruto to hold him off. With careful steps, she approached the Clefairy before crouching down in front of her, making her hide behind her stubby arms.

"It's okay," she whispered, making the Pokémon peek at her. "I'm sorry that we frightened you; but, I was hoping to catch you in this." The confession was supported by Lillie showing the Clefairy the empty PokéBall. "I've seen pictures, heard rumors, and read all about Clefairy before I came here to the Kanto Region. They always fascinated me with how they could've come from space."

Lillie had her attention, and the Clefairy slowly lowered her arms to her chest.

Smiling, the blonde continued, "I know that catching you will be a big change, and I hope you're willing to forgive us for chasing you. But, if you come with us, I promise that I'll take very good care of you so that you can be the best Clefairy you can be. I want to become a Pokémon Trainer like my onii-chan, and I think that you'll help me get there."

"…Ry?" the Fairy Type replied, sounding unsure.

"I promise to be there for you, if you'll be there for me," Lillie finished, holding out the PokéBall to the Clefairy. She set the Ball down and took a step back, giving the Pokémon the choice.

Black eyes shifted between the PokéBall and the human girl before them, taking occasional glances at the boy behind the girl and the strangely colored Vulpix that had moved back over to his side. They then looked up to the Zubat resting in spiky hair, tilting her head at him curiously before turning her attention back to Lillie.

Slowly, she approached the PokéBall and picked it up in her hands, staring into her reflection on the red top of the sphere. She gave a final look to Lillie, locking eyes with her and seeing the genuine kindness in them. Slowly smiling, she made her decision and poked the button on the PokéBall, letting herself be sucked into the device before it pinged.

Grinning, Naruto stepped up to his friend and patted her back. "Congrats, Lillie-chan. You've gotten your first Pokémon."

Shocked green eyes were locked on the PokéBall for a few moments before Lillie moved over to it and picked it up. Pressing the button gingerly, she let out her new Pokémon and saw the Clefairy smiling brightly at her.

"Fairy! Clefairy!" she greeted, moving over to hug Lillie's leg.

Her eyes grew misty as she reached down and picked up the Pokémon. "You're my first Pokémon…" she whispered in disbelief, yet there was an immense feeling of happiness in her voice. Hugging the Pokémon to her, she cheered out, "I've gotten my first Pokémon!"

Naruto smiled softly at his pseudo sister, happy for her and the joy she was feeling. He was the same way when Akitsu had hatched from her egg, hugging her close and cheering repeatedly how they would be the best partners in history.

Feeling something brush his leg, he looked down and saw Akitsu nuzzling her head against him before giving him an understanding smile. He grinned back at her before reaching down to pet her head and scratch her ears. She purred at his touch, relishing in the feeling of her best friend and partner.

Unknown to everyone, the Zubat had observed everything from atop the Uzumaki's head.

 **(-)**

Having decided to give her new Clefairy the name Pippi (1), Lillie let her first Pokémon stay out of her PokéBall and walk around with them as they continued traversing the caverns of Mt. Moon. It helped that Pippi took the lead so that her new partner wouldn't get lost in the maze of tunnels.

"Hey, Pippi," Naruto began, earning the Clefairy's attention, "have you seen a colony of Zubat? They would've been dazed by the lights that were strung up earlier. This guy," he pointed to the Zubat on his head, "was part of that colony, and we were going to help him get back to them."

Pippi nodded in understanding before she took on a thinking posture, trying to recall if she saw such a colony. After a moment's thought, she frowned sadly and shook her head.

"It's okay," Lillie assured her. "It was probably hard to notice since those lights were messing with so many Pokémon."

"Yeah… When I find the people who put up those lights, I'm giving them a piece of my mind," Naruto vowed.

"Just…make sure to hear them out at least, onii-chan."

"No promises…"

Resuming their trek, Pippi lead them to another fork in the path; but, she looked noticeably confused at the sight. "What's wrong, Pippi-chan?" Lillie asked, earning an unsure coo from the Fairy Type. Turning back to Naruto, she said, "I think one of these paths wasn't here before."

"Meaning that either a Pokémon dug it recently, or someone else did it to dig deeper. Moon Stones are pretty valuable, after all. I wouldn't be surprised if more and more tunnels were made in search of them."

"What should we do?"

"Well, we can't split up. You haven't gotten any practice in battling, and I don't feel comfortable leaving you by yourself." He took a moment to think about which path to take, leaning back against the wall as he did so.

The Zubat on his head rose up slightly, stretching out his wings and testing them out. To his joy, his once burnt wing had been healed and no longer hurt as he flapped it. So, getting airborne, he flew off Naruto's head and hovered between the two paths, earning the attention of everyone else. A high-pitched cry echoed from him, making Akitsu whine and flatten her ears with her forepaws.

Naruto narrowed his eyes and waited for the Zubat to act, widening them when the Poison/Flying Type turned back to them with a pleased look and tilted his head to the rightmost path. "You sure?"

Nodding, the Zubat floated over to the entrance of the path, screeching at them to follow.

"Alright then. Ready to go, everyone?"

"I'm ready," Lillie answered while Pippi and Akitsu both nodded.

Smiling at them, Naruto turned back to the Zubat and said, "Lead the way, buddy."

The Bat Pokémon stilled for a moment at the warmth it felt before mentally shaking it off and leading the others down the path. However, a small part couldn't fully shake off how he felt. And it felt…nice.

 **(-)**

"I told you to get better lights, James," Jessie admonished as she and Meowth watched the man look at the wiring in the lights they brought.

"The wires are fried," James informed them. "Something must've caused them to short-circuit in a different part, which affected them all since they were linked."

"Wonderful…" the redhead groused sarcastically.

"Well, at least we still have our helmet lights," Meowth pointed out…before his started to flicker. "Or…maybe not."

"Crap! Dig faster, you two!" Jessie ordered in panic, prompting the trio to pick at the wall in a frenzy. Amazingly, their growing fear of losing their lights gave them the strength to break through the wall they were working on.

And on the other side of that was a rocky clearing with a massive gray stone on some sort of pedestal.

 **(-)**

Still following the Zubat, the Alolan blondes ran through the tunnels he guided them through. As they moved, Naruto took note of something hanging on the walls when he raised his glow stick.

"Lillie, there are more of those lights hung up here."

"Do you think Zubat is leading us to whoever put them up?" she asked.

"Probably. I just hope there's a way out down this path."

The Zubat slowed to a stop, hovering around an exit way and the end of the light strings. He looked back to the blondes before moving to float in front of Naruto. The two regarded one another silently, saying nothing for a moment before Naruto grinned at him.

"Thanks for the help, buddy. Go ahead and find your missing colony. We can make our way out from here." Reaching his hand out, he gently patted the bat's head. "Good luck. Hope you find your friends."

With that, he and Lillie led their Pokémon through the opening while the Zubat turned to watch them leave. Confliction swam through his mind as he considered what to do. The colony helped raise him, but they rarely helped a member if something happened to them; usually leaving them to handle it on their own.

On the other hand, the two humans he had spent his recent time with were nice people. They helped heal his wing and let him travel with them as it healed. Plus, there was this strange underlying warmth he couldn't shake off when he was around them.

Looking down the path behind him, he gave a supersonic cry and waited for anyone to respond. When nothing happened, he knew what to do.

 **(-)**

"It's…"

"…beautiful…" Lillie finished in a whisper as they witnessed the fabled Moon Stone before them, fittingly highlighted by the full moon of the night. "Pippi, look…"

"Fairy!" Pippi cheered, having seen the stone before. Still, she was pleased that her new friends liked it.

Naruto noticed some smaller pieces of the large space rock on the ground, reaching down to pick one up. "Hey, Pippi? You mind if I take one of these? I only want one."

She nodded, not seeing a problem with it. She then turned to Lillie questioningly, only to earn a headshake from her. "I don't need one. I prefer you as a Clefairy. You're cuter this way."

Pippi's cheeks grew rosy and she held them with an embarrassed coo, making Naruto and Lillie laugh. The moment was cut short when Akitsu perked up and growled at the rock, making Naruto frown towards it.

"Alright! Whoever is out there, come out!" he ordered. "This is an important relic to the Clefairy!"

"Damn, it's a pair of twerps," a female voice groused as two people and an upright Meowth moved into view from behind the Moon Stone. "Well, we're out. What now, kid?"

"Who are you guys? Why were you hiding behind the Moon Stone and why did you set up those lights?" Naruto questioned, frowning at them.

(Play "Team Rocket Theme" from the _Pokémon_ anime)

Smirking, the two humans stood back-to-back with their arms crossed. "You want to know, huh? Well, if you really want to, then prepare for trouble!"

"And make it double!" the blue-haired man continued.

"To protect the world from devastation…"

"To unite all peoples within our nation…"

"To denounce the evils of _truth_ and _love_ …"

"To extend our reach to the stars above…"

The woman's smirk grew as she said, "Jessie!"

The man pulled a single rose from…somewhere and held it dramatically close to his face as he continued, "And James!"

"We're Team Rocket, blasting off at the speed of light!"

"So, surrender now or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth! That's right!" the Pokémon finished, surprising Naruto and Lillie at how it spoke in human tongue.

(Stop Music)

"Wait… Team Rocket?" Naruto repeated before glaring at them. "So, you're all part of the crime syndicate here in the Kanto Region!"

"Guilty as charged," Jessie replied. "And if you don't mind, we're in the middle of a job; so, beat it!"

"Like hell I will! Akitsu, let's take care of them!"

(Play "Vs. Team Rainbow Rocket" from _Ultra Sun/Moon_ )

"Vul!" she cried in response, leaping in front of her partner and landing in a low crouch with a growl.

The trio of criminals blinked at the sight of a _white_ Vulpix. "Hey, what gives?" Meowth called out. "Your Pokémon ain't right, twerp!"

Giving them a smirk of his own, the Uzumaki fired back, "Says you! Akitsu, use Icy Wind!"

"Vul…PIX!" the ice vixen cried after a deep inhale, unleashing a gust of frigid air at them.

Diving away from the Ice Type attack, Jessie and James pulled out their own PokéBalls and sent out their Pokémon. "Go, Ekans/Koffing!"

The Ekans was a purple snake with a yellow rattle tail and matching yellow eyes. Koffing was a purple Pokémon in a ball shape that had many openings that let out a noxious smoke.

"Tch! Poison Types… Lillie, keep Pippi out of this fight!"

"Hey, that twerpette has a Clefairy!" Meowth revealed, bringing out his claws and leaping towards Lillie and Pippi. "Let's see how you like my Fury Swipes!"

"Pippi, use uh… U-Use…" Lillie tried to command, but she fell short when she didn't know what move to use.

"Use Defense Curl!" Naruto ordered before turning to his own battle. "Akitsu, use Hail followed by Double Team!"

Pippi covered herself with her arms and projected a spherical field of energy around her, lessening the damage Meowth threw at her while Akitsu called forth drops of hail before casting illusionary copies of herself. Meowth growled at his attack being lessened, pouncing on Pippi and gnawing at her protective shell with a Bite attack.

"Pippi! Use Disarming Voice!" Lillie called out, having pulled out her own PokéDex and checking the moves her Pokémon knew currently.

The Clefairy's eyes gained a pink hue as she let out a shrill cry that blew Meowth away, making him tumble along the ground before he righted himself. "Geez, that hurt you ball of dough!" he cried, readying his claws again before charging.

Meanwhile, Akitsu was having trouble dealing with her opponents simultaneously. Koffing had used Smog to deal with the illusions while Ekans had used Dig to hide from view. She felt a tremor beneath her and quickly dove away as Ekans burst from the ground and tried to Bite her.

"Akitsu, use Extrasensory to pick up Ekans!" Naruto ordered, prompting his partner to gain a golden glow around her form and in her eyes. The Ekans gained a similar glow as it was forcibly lifted off the ground. "Now, launch it at the Koffing!"

"VUL!" Akitsu cried, using her Psychic Type attack to slingshot Ekans into Koffing's direction, nailing the Poison Gas Pokémon and sending both Poison Types into the wall surrounding the chamber they were in.

"Ekans, get up and use Toxic!" Jessie demanded.

"And Koffing, you use Smokescreen!"

Untangling themselves, they both glared at the Vulpix and attacked. Ekans sent forth a shot of corrosive violet liquid while Koffing unleashed a cloud of black smoke that hid both Pokémon from sight.

"Akitsu, duck!" Naruto ordered, and she obeyed, letting the shot of Toxic sail safely over her form and land on the ground behind her. "Blow away the smoke with Icy Wind!"

"Vulpix!" she complied, using her Ice Type attack to clear away the cloud and revealed nothing. Team Rocket and their two Poison Types were gone.

(Stop Music)

"Crap! They got away!" Naruto cursed before he noticed something _else_ missing. "And they took the Moon Stone!"

"Hey, you guys!" Meowth cried, noticing that he had been left behind. "Wait up, will ya?!"

Following after them, he rushed through another natural pathway of Mt. Moon, quickly tailed by Naruto, Lillie, and their Pokémon. "You're not getting away!" Lillie declared, holding Pippi in her arms so that the Fairy Type wouldn't lag behind.

Akitsu had leapt onto Naruto's shoulder as he ran, glaring at the retreating Normal Type. "Get back here!" Naruto ordered before a screech caught his attention. Looking to the side, he saw that the Zubat he and Lillie had helped was flying next to him. "Zubat! You followed us?"

The Poison/Flying Type nodded before he flapped harder to get in front of the two blondes before he let out a grinding Screech attack. The narrowed passage of the tunnel let the soundwave travel with ease and crash into Meowth, who stumbled and held his ringing ears before Zubat followed up with a Wing Attack.

"Nice job!" Naruto praised, seeing the Scratch Cat Pokémon get knocked out by the combo attack. "Akitsu, freeze his paws together real quick."

"Vulpix," she replied with a nod before she used Powder Snow to cover Meowth's paws in ice and lock them together.

"Great! Now, let's keep moving! Zubat, can you see if Team Rocket is still close?"

"Bat! Zubat!" he replied before letting out a supersonic trill, the soundwaves bouncing off the walls and traveling ahead. After a moment, he perked up and nodded once before taking off.

"Lillie, let's go!"

"Right!" she affirmed before following her friend after the Bat Pokémon.

They ran as fast as they could, chasing after Team Rocket and catching up with them just in time for the duo and their Pokémon to be halted by a small group of Clefairy…with an Onix residing behind them and looking rather angry.

"I think we took the wrong passage," Jessie whimpered, intimidated by the size of the Rock Snake Pokémon.

"Y-You said it," James agreed.

"Oi!" Naruto called out, earning their attention. "Last chance; give back the Moon Stone and we'll let you go. Your buddy is stuck in the caverns behind us."

"Looks like they took care of Meowth," James grumbled.

"You really expect us to believe that you can convince _that_ thing to let us walk away?" Jessie questioned skeptically, gesturing to the glowering Onix.

Naruto turned to the Rock/Ground Type, locking his violet eyes with its black ones. "If they surrender the stone, will you let them leave?"

The Onix growled at the notion before the Clefairy in front of it gave pleading coos. With a final growl, it reluctantly nodded and shifted _slightly_ away from Team Rocket.

"There," Naruto declared. "Now, you two can pack up and get out."

"Tch! To think we have to accept some pitiful mercy from a damnable twerp," Jessie groused before she returned her Ekans and James returned his Koffing. The duo got down from the Moon Stone and slowly circled around it while Naruto and Lillie circled as well, standing close to the relic. "Don't think this changes anything, twerp!"

"We'll deal with you next time!" James finished before the duo took off down the caverns to pick up Meowth and leave Mt. Moon.

Letting out a breath he didn't know he held, Naruto turned to the group of Pokémon with a smile. "Thanks for cutting them off, you guys. And I'm sorry we let them get the stone in the first place."

One of the Clefairy waved him off with a smile before turning to the Onix and gesturing to the Moon Stone with a pushing motion. The Rock Snake Pokémon nodded before it started to shove the stone back down the path with its broad head. The group of Clefairy gave polite bows to the two blondes and their Pokémon before following the Onix; though, the one that had made the request stayed back for a moment, looking to Pippi in Lillie's arms.

The two shared a silent conversation before the wild Clefairy smiled and gave a single nod in understanding. She then directed her smile to Lillie and Naruto before catching up with her fellow Fairy Types.

"Well…that was a thing," Naruto joked with a sheepish chuckle.

"A _big_ thing," Lillie agreed with a giggle before she turned around and gave a sigh of relief at the exit ahead. "Looks like we made it through the mountain."

"That's good to see. Cerulean City should be a short walk from the exit," Naruto pointed out before he felt a tug on his shirt. Turning, he saw that it was the Zubat that had done it. "Oh, right! Thanks again for your help, buddy! We really needed it."

The Zubat said nothing and simply floated in front of Naruto's face, studying the blonde Uzumaki for a few moments before nodding to himself with a sense of finality. His mind made up, he descended to Naruto's belt and used his wing to knock a PokéBall onto the ground before nudging the button with his head. The ball shook just once before it pinged, signaling how the Zubat was successfully captured.

Blinking in surprise, Naruto picked up the occupied PokéBall and let out the Zubat again, seeing it greet him happily. "You want to join us, do you?" A firm nod was his answer. "It won't be easy, y'know. I'm aiming for the very top; to be the best in Kanto." Another nod. "You have what it takes to help me get there, then?" A third nod, accompanied by a determined cry. Naruto grinned at the small bat and declared, "Then welcome to the group, Shiina!" (2)

The newly named Zubat did an excited loop in place with another determined cry. He then settled himself once more in Naruto's hair, earning a chuckle from the Uzumaki as he turned to his friend.

"Another one for the team," he stated.

"You're halfway done, onii-chan," she replied.

"Yep, but no matter who fills the remaining three spots, we'll all reach the top and show Kanto that we're Number 1, ttebayo!"

"Vulpix!" Akitsu exclaimed.

A burst of light came from Naruto's belt and Kusano revealed herself with an excited expression. "Oddish!"

"Zu, Zubat!" Shiina rounded up, sounding as determined as ever.

He gave his three Pokémon his signature foxy grin before returning Kusano and Shiina to their PokéBalls and letting Akitsu reclaim her position on his shoulder. "Now, let's get out of here and get to Cerulean."

"Right!/Fairy!" Lillie and Pippi agreed as the group exited the cave.

 **(-)**

 _"…You're sure about this?"_ a shadowed figured questioned from the other side of a video phone that Team Rocket – who had disguised themselves with matching trench coats – was using.

"Positive, sir," Jessie answered. "The twerp that got in the way of our job had a Vulpix that was white as snow and was using Ice Type moves."

"It was also pretty powerful when the brat was taking charge," James added. "It's obvious that the Vulpix is his best Pokémon."

 _"Interesting…"_ the Boss mused. _"So, one boy has a uniquely powerful Pikachu at his side and another has a Vulpix of opposite typing to ones here in Kanto."_ He took a moment to think about what to do before reaching a decision. _"Alright then. You three will target the Vulpix since you'll be more prepared for it. I'll have Cassidy and Butch go after the Pikachu."_

"Yes, Giovanni sir!" the trio declared before ending the call and heading out.

They had a blonde twerp with an icy vixen to find.

 **(-)**

 **1~ Pippi is the Japanese name for "Clefairy". So, I figured that it was a good name for Lillie's Clefairy. Plus, it was so cute watching Lillie argue with Lusamine in the anime about "Pippi and Pixie"! _*laughing*_**

 **2~ Shiina is Sekirei #107. He's one of the few male Sekirei with powers opposite of Kusano. His name literally means "Death", and poison can be** _ **very**_ **deadly. So, that's where Zubat's name comes in.**

 **And that's the end of the fourth chapter! What'd you guys think? Tell me your thoughts on both the chapter and Naruto's growing team, please!**

 **I'll give you guys a hint about the next member of Naruto's team: it'll start off as a single type before becoming dual-typed, and it will be named Mutsu, Sekirei #05 and manipulator of earth!**

 **I look forward to reading your guesses and reviews!**

 **One last thing: I posted a poll in regards to my _Naruto/Sekirei_ Xover! Please vote on it!**

 **Until next time!**

 _ **~pain17ification~**_


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